Historically, studio-quality sound, which can best be described as the full reproduction of the complete range of audio frequencies that are utilized during the studio recording process, has only been able to be achieved, appropriately, in audio recording studios. Studio-quality sound is characterized by the level of clarity and brightness which is attained only when the upper-mid frequency ranges are effectively manipulated and reproduced. While the technical underpinnings of studio-quality sound can be fully appreciated only by experienced record producers, the average listener can easily hear the difference that studio-quality sound makes.
While various attempts have been made to reproduce studio-quality sound outside of the recording studio, those attempts have come at tremendous expense (usually resulting from advanced speaker design, costly hardware, and increased power amplification) and have achieved only mixed results. Thus, there exists a need for a process whereby studio-quality sound can be reproduced outside of the studio with consistent, high quality, results at a low cost. There exists a further need for audio devices embodying such a process, as well as computer chips embodying such a process that may be embedded within audio devices. There also exists a need for the ability to produce studio-quality sound through inexpensive speakers.
In cellular telephones, little has been done to enhance and optimize the audio quality of the voice during a conversation or of audio programming during playback. Manufacturers have, in some cases, attempted to enhance the audio, but generally this is accomplished utilizing the volume control of the device. The general clarity of the voice ‘sound’ remains fixed. The voice is merely amplified and/or equalized. Moreover, the settings for amplification and/or equalization are also fixed and cannot be altered by the user.
Further, the design of audio systems for vehicles involves the consideration of many different factors. The audio system designer selects the position and number of speakers in the vehicle. The desired frequency response of each speaker must also be determined. For example, the desired frequency response of a speaker that is located on the instrument panel may be different than the desired frequency response of a speaker that is located on the lower portion of the rear door panel.
The audio system designer must also consider how equipment variations impact the audio system. For example, an audio system in a convertible may not sound as good as the same audio system in the same model vehicle that is a hard top. The audio system options for the vehicle may also vary significantly. One audio option for the vehicle may include a basic 4-speaker system with 40 watts amplification per channel while another audio option may include a 12-speaker system with 200 watts amplification per channel. The audio system designer must consider all of these configurations when designing the audio system for the vehicle. For these reasons, the design of audio systems is time consuming and costly. The audio system designers must also have a relatively extensive background in signal processing and equalization.
Given those considerations, in order to achieve something approaching studio-quality sound in a vehicle historically one would have required a considerable outlay of money, including expensive upgrades of the factory-installed speakers. As such, there is a need for a system that can reproduce studio-quality sound in a vehicle without having to make such expensive outlays.
Furthermore, volume control and loudness level may be of a particular concern to parents of small children or individuals/listeners with sensitive hearing. For instance, it has been determined that certain and particularly high volume or loudness levels are detrimental to a child's developing hearing capacity or ear in that listening to audio signals at a volume above a certain predetermined threshold may cause permanent damage to the child's or listener's hearing capacity, whereas listening to audio signals at a volume or loudness that is below the predetermined threshold is safe or otherwise less detrimental.
For instance, children may oftentimes increase the volume of a device to a level above the threshold or otherwise to a level that may be detrimental to the children's hearing capacity which, over time, may in fact lead to permanent hearing damage. This may particularly happen in high noise environments (e.g. airplanes, moving vehicles, convertible vehicles, etc.) where it is oftentimes ordinarily difficult to hear the emitted sound or audio at lower or more controlled levels.
Furthermore, simply setting the volume control on the hardware device to a lower maximum level is not advantageous and does not solve the problem in that the audio will still be difficult to hear in high noise environments. Likewise, manipulating the audio signal via hardware to set a peak volume threshold also does not solve the problem in that by doing so creates a large amount of audio distortion, and significant sacrifices to the quality of the audio signal must be made.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a system and method that is capable of controlling or setting an upper threshold level for the volume or loudness on the output signal so as to accommodate children or other individuals with sensitive hearing, while still maintaining studio-quality sound such that the audio at lower volumes can be listened to in high noise environments. Accordingly, the audio signal may be digitally manipulated by software in order to create or otherwise set a maximum or peak signal threshold such that manipulation of the volume or loudness control on the hardware device itself will not increase the volume or loudness of the signal beyond the peak signal threshold. In particular, by modifying certain input related settings on a profile by the same amount, the lower level program is limited by the overall output gain of the device's amplifier, thereby creating a lower sound ceiling while maintaining studio-quality sound.